International Energy Management Standard for Industry

Global support to the development of an International Energy Management Standard for Industry

The project aims at supporting the development process of the international Management System Standard for Energy ISO 50001 by raising awareness and ensuring that the issues and perspectives of industry, government policy makers and other concerned stakeholders in developing countries and emerging economies are taken into consideration during the development of the standard. To that end, UNIDO has organized regional and international meetings targeted to prospective standard users, policy-making and standards institutions and experts to obtain inputs. Surveys on energy management practices in industry have been also carried out in selected emerging countries.

Project Achievements

The project has contributed significant preparatory work to the development of ISO 50001. UNIDO’s work paved the way to the accelerated development schedule adopted by the ISO project committee 242 (ISO/PC 242) that is developing ISO 50001. Most of the findings of the meetings organized by UNIDO were incorporated and reflected in the first working draft of ISO 50001. As of October 2008 UNIDO’s meetings and awareness raising initiatives reached delegates and experts from more than 30 developing countries and emerging economies. While it is too premature to assess the full impact of UNIDO’s work to enhance understanding of energy management standards in industry, it can be noted that many developing/emerging countries standards authorities that participated to UNIDO meetings are now either members or observers of ISO/PC 242. Several of them are prepared to collaborate to the execution of the UNIDO Survey.